Orioles add right-hander Eduarniel Núñez, option him to Norfolk

Baltimore found a fastball first, not a finished product. The Orioles acquired right-hander Eduarniel Núñez from the Athletics for cash considerations on May 15 and sent him straight to Triple-A Norfolk, a move that says as much about the club’s pitching need as it does about the arm they wanted.

Núñez is 26, born June 7, 1999, in Samaná, Dominican Republic, and he already has major-league mileage. He made his MLB debut on July 2, 2025, with the San Diego Padres, then bounced through a multi-team path that included the Athletics. The stuff is the draw: one report pegged his fastball at 98.1 mph and in the 95th percentile. That kind of velocity plays in any bullpen, especially for an organization that keeps cycling through relief depth in Norfolk and Baltimore.

The downside is why he was available. Núñez was designated for assignment by the Athletics on May 12 after spending time this season at Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas. In 13.2 minor-league innings this year, he posted a 4.61 ERA and 1.83 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and 11 walks. That line tells the whole story: bat-missing ability, but enough traffic on the bases to keep the risk attached. Baltimore is betting the arm is worth the work.

The corresponding move was just as telling. The Orioles designated right-hander Christian Roa for assignment, after claiming him off waivers from the Twins on May 10. That is roster churn with a purpose, not a long-term commitment to a specific name. Roa never even had time to settle before Baltimore needed the spot for a harder-throwing option, and that squeeze usually means the bullpen is still being patched as injuries and usage stack up.

For Norfolk, the arrival of Núñez is not a footnote. It is another high-octane arm dropped into the top affiliate, where Baltimore has been keeping its next relief option close and movable. If Núñez tightens the control, he can climb fast. If not, he becomes the latest stop on a roster conveyor belt that Baltimore has been running hard to keep the big-league bullpen supplied.